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The first ever flight of UK apache helicopters in the mountains of arctic Norway.
Increasing regional competition from Russia, alongside climate change and melting ice causing new shipping lanes to emerge, have highlighted the strategic significance of NATO’s Northern flank. To that end 3 Commando Brigade, under Project HEIMDALL, have returned to Norway in force, working towards a large-scale Brigade minus deployment in 2028. The men and women of 7 Bty have been playing their part in this trans- formation, relearning old lessons and developing new skills in this harshest of environments.
The demands of soldiering in Norway are varied and pronounced. Temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius, alongside undulating terrain (don’t get fooled by the 20m contour interval) combine to create gruelling conditions. The risks presented by the environment necessitate a lengthy, progressive training schedule; which usually manifests itself in the occasionally fear-inducing prospect of mountain training. Three to four weeks in length, based out of Cameron Barracks in Inverness, mountain training progresses from section level navigation exercises in daysack order through to multi-day tactical mountain movement serials with full bergens, brimming with rations, radio ancillaries and ammunition. Royal Marine mountain leaders, UK Defence’s SMEs in this environment, deliver top-quality training from weather systems through avalanche risks to mountain medicine. Here the good, the bad, and the ugly of the military experience are on full display. The good, soldiering fundamentals and nights in Johnny Foxes’; the bad, Scottish weather fronts and lessons on cumulonimbus-stratus; the ugly, MLs in blue t-shirts and temperamental naptha cookers which take your eyebrows off (on a good day). Building on the personal administration and
section-level soldiering of the AACC, mountain training is UK-based exercising delivered at its very best. Traversing An Teallach in 40mph wind and gusting rain, while far from easy, reminds everyone regardless of rank why they joined 3 Commando Brigade.
On arriving in Norway, most personnel will undertake the cold weather warfare course – ‘Novices’ – which teaches how to survive, move, and fight in the Arctic Circle. This builds on the solid foundations provided by mountain training to further prepare individuals for soldiering in Norway in Winter. The survival phase is a fast-paced, challenging, but nevertheless enjoyable experience, involving nights out building shelters and digging snow holes. It finishes with ice-breaking drills, a commando rite of passage, which brings new significance to the phrase ‘a quick dip in the ogin.’ After this comes the movement phase. Here misguided subalterns fresh out of phase one training think that all those weeks spent at father’s chalet in Morzine will finally pay off; how wrong they are. The moment that a bergen is put on – AKA ‘the equalizer’ – all previous skiing experience, (not to mention coordination in general) is rendered null and void. Instead the cause of the truism becomes blindingly apparent – “everyone flashes in Norway”. Yet, contrary to the occasional myth otherwise, the training remains robust and achievable, as those under instruction slowly but surely get to grips with traversing the snow. With bruised bodies and egos, but morale intact, those on the course continue to the fight phase. While some of this feels very familiar (disappointingly it turns out digging-in doesn’t stop because it is snowy), some of it takes a little getting used to. The snow doesn’t just increase admin time; tactical actions too are
HERE THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY OF THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE ARE ON FULL DISPLAY
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